At the end of the penultimate turn, Paul had got a 2 point secret objective of holding 2 systems adjacent to another player’s home system while I had claimed the 2 point public objective of spending 3 command counters from my command pool, which lifted us both up to (I think) 6 points together with Tom W who had also been steadily claiming public objectives, just behind Aneurin on 7 points. Throughout the game, Paul and I had been politely moving aside to let the other get a system needed for objectives and, although I was a bit worried when he flew in a fleet including his flagship to take that system next to my home, he did assure me that he would vacate it as soon as he’d claimed the objective. Aneurin and Tom S still held 1 point artifacts on the board which they had to defend and there was one still unclaimed in the wormhole nexus. Aneurin had a big fleet on a system just next to my area but I had just about enough strength in my fleets (including a warsun) to make it too risky for him to attack me. Meurig hadn’t managed to get over losing the warsun that had been marauding around Paul’s and my areas a few turns earlier and had also been unlucky with some of the distant suns tokens he’d turned over when he’d been trying to claim new planets so at that point he wasn’t really in a position to challenge for the lead, while John and Sam had fought each other to a standstill.On the last turn, I couldn’t see much possibility of getting points other than taking a risk on that unclaimed artifact on the wormhole nexus. The best I could see my turn going was if I could take and hold that and could save my resources to spend on claiming another 1 point public objective then I could get up to a respectable 8 points (although there was a significant chance someone would have ended the game before I could claim that objective anyway). Aneurin had a difficult position, having to defend his artifact in one direction and defend his area on the other side from my lurking warsun. Tom W had built up quite an impressive fleet over on the other side of the board and looked ready to grab some more territory. Meurig claimed the Bureaucracy card, which gave him the chance to pick the next public objective or possibly the game end card if it came up. When he played it, however, he didn’t draw the end card but had to choose between two high scoring public objectives. The one he chose would be worth 3 points to someone who holds 11 planets outside their home system at the end of the round. This changed things hugely, for me at least, as I could see a way to get there.Despite this, Paul did keep to his word and politely moved his ships out of the system he had taken from me the previous turn so I could take back those two planets without a fight, which I did. I suppose it wasn’t just politeness as I did have the strength to challenge for it in a fight, although it would have hurt and stopped me doing anything else pretty much. After taking these planets back, I then flew a warsun with two ground troops into the wormhole nexus to take the planet and claiming its artefact put me up to 7 points (and 9 planets). However, it was now a tempting target for anyone within reach of a wormhole to send a fleet through and challenge me for possession of that 1 point artifact. I think it could have been John, Tom S, or Meurig but as it turned out it was Aneurin who came after me. He couldn’t commit a huge force to it as he still needed to protect his own space but he sent his own warsun and a couple of ships including a carrier with one mech unit for the ground invasion and a couple of fighters to take any hits my warsun could dish out. It should have been enough but I got very lucky. First, in the space battle, I had exactly the right combination of action cards which enabled me to hit ships instead of fighters and then destroy his warsun after it had taken a hit. He did take out my warsun but he wasn’t able to bombard the planet so had to rely on his mech unit defeating my two ground forces. Again I got super lucky and rolled two hits (I think that's a 4% chance!) to his one, leaving me in possession of the planet. That meant that if no-one else came to claim it, and if I could grab two more planets, I would be able to claim that 3 point public objective and get up to 10 points to win the game. Meanwhile, Aneurin had problems elsewhere as he lost his artifact to Tom S (putting Aneurin down to 6 points), while Tom W had started getting his forces moving too and took one of Tom S’s artifacts. Maybe he could have reached the other artifact Tom S had just taken from Aneurin as well in that round but I’m not sure. Unfortunately, that was the point at which Tom W had to leave. He was tied with me and Paul on 7 points, just ahead of Aneurin. I had a chance of getting 3 more points from one objective and Tom W, I think, may have had a chance of getting 1 more point if he managed to get an artifact and, as it turned out, he was also going to get 2 points from his secret objective. I can't be sure but I think Paul was only in line to claim a 1 point objective and was maybe thinking of working towards something the following round.It’s hard to say what would have happened if we’d managed to finish the round. A lot would have depended on when Tom W played his Production strategy card as, among other things, that would have given Paul the chance to build up a force on his home system which could have fought me off if I’d moved in to take a neighbouring system. We called it a 3-way draw but I think Tom W looked best positioned for the win. I had a chance of winning in that round but if anyone stopped me by taking the wormhole nexus or any other planets then Paul and I would be on 7 or 8 with few prospects of getting more and Tom W would be on at least 9. If he didn’t finish it that turn he was in a good position to grab the last point (or the tile which changes the finish line to 9 points) early on in the next round. To be honest I don’t think I’d have deserved the win if I’d got it as it depended on ridiculous luck at the end.

Good summary, Tom. I had one other spot in the galaxy (lightly defended Tom S system near the middle) which I was eyeing up as a prospect to grab another planet towards the 3 points objective, and was desperately hoping noone else would notice I could get it (wasn't a sure thing, however). And, yes, a play of production would have let me build some big hitters in my HS and then move out to take back neighbouring planets, possibly. On the other hand, I was only defending my artifact VP with 3 cruisers and a destroyer (if I remember right) and some ground forces, so someone determined might have taken that off me.

In the end I see it like this:- Tom W had, for sure, enough points to win the game at the end of that round- Tom C and I both had a chance of securing the 3-point objective, but also had another VP at risk.- Turn order advantage for claiming the objectives was me, then Tom C, then Tom W

Weighing all this up honestly in my head, I think Tom C was probably the most likely to win (as his forces were better positioned than mine), but I also had a shot. Tom W could also have won, but that would have relied (I believe) on persuading other people to stop me and/or Tom C via aggression.

My idiot brain could be making this up but I thought you took the nexus on the penultimate turn. We were drawn on points (7) at that point as I claimed one of the tech objectives. So that put you on 8.

I had one of the hardest secret objectives - Metacol with a space dock and 8 NON-FIGHTER ships. My biggest problem meeting this was getting the command counters. I'd fluffed claiming my preliminary on one turn and so had by-passed the speaker token and hence Leadership not realising this would have such a dramatic effect later one.

I knew I would never get those 2 points so...

With Meurig taking beaurocracy I knew I had one last chance the strike. Take the objective from Tom - I knew this would leave me exposed but was hoping that Meurig would draw Imperium Recand end it with me on 8. My contingency plan (which I knew was aShort straw) was to send my flag ship to take TomS' artefact and then grab the precursor station to claim victory on 9 points.

The Periscope feed is available to view, can you check it please and make sure you are OK with the contents, if you are not you can send me a message (PM or any other method) and I can take it down and edit it.

I will put together the rest of the footage and start posting it later this week, I want everyone to be comfortable with what is made public so again if there is anything you don't like or want me to take out please let me know.

Oh, also, I thought both first-timers played very well. I was a bit closer to Meurig than Tom S in terms of keeping up with what was going on (a bit too close on many occasions, grrr! ;-) ) but if I hadn't known then I wouldn't have guessed that either of them hadn't played before.

paulyg wrote:Oh, also, I thought both first-timers played very well. I was a bit closer to Meurig than Tom S in terms of keeping up with what was going on (a bit too close on many occasions, grrr! ;-) ) but if I hadn't known then I wouldn't have guessed that either of them hadn't played before.

I agree with this, they definitely added something to the galaxy in their own right.

Having shown he's obviously a capable player, Meurig won't get my help in getting War Suns next game though, that's for sure.

Unfortunately the interview videos didn't work very well, the sound was very quiet and the lighting was bad but the time-lapse worked out well and the first video with Paul and Aneurin was good.

Thanks everyone for taking part!

It's a really cool idea Rick, and even if the results this time aren't as awesome as they might be; it's a good learning experience. I wonder if we need a Sheffield Board Gamers YouTube channel for these kind of things?